Case mouth belling

[Airman Basic]

Picked up a (relatively) cheap NEF 30-30 break-open rifle to play with cast bullets. Will a good mouth chamfer be sufficient or should the case mouth be belled, and if belling is necessary, the best way to go about it?

[chsparkman]

You will need to bell the mouth a little bit. Many use the Lee universal expander die. I use a lyman.

[shredder]

Yup. Get the mouth belled a bit and seating troubles go away. Try it without the flare ( I did ) and you will likely notice occasional small crescent shaped lead droppings getting shaved from the driving bands, even with a gas check to lead the way down the neck. Case flare solves this.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Belling is a must. just a tad though. Case length will have an effect on the amount of belling. Be sure to trim all cases first.

[Outpost75]

Best is to inside deburr and also to flare slightly. The RCBS separate cast bullet mouth expander does a good job and so does the Lyman M die. Have not used the Lee Universal, but people I know who use it speak highly with no complaints.

If you have either a .32 ACP, .32 S&W Long, .32-20 or H&R Mag pistol die set, you could back off the pistol expander to flare .30-30s if the die body length and your press set-up will permit enough adjustment to do so. I use a .32 ACP expander plug threaded into a longer expander die body from any straight-wall rifle case set such as a .444 Marlin or .32-40

[ukrifleman]

You will need to bell the mouth a little bit. Many use the Lee universal expander die. I use a lyman.

the Lee case expander die is a good investment, it is a versatile piece of kit.
ukrifleman.

[Airman Basic]

Okay, scrounged a Lyman M-die with 30 caliber expander button. Looks like you could swap it out with different size buttons w/o buying the whole thing. Possible?

[Mk42gunner]

Yes. You can swap the expander plugs, if you can find them. The best bet may be to contact Lyman, I have never been able to find them on any one else's website.

Or you can make your own expander if you have access to a lathe.

Robert

[DLCTEX]

I size boolits to .311 for my 30-30 and use the Lyman M die to flare the case mouth, but use the expander for 303 Brit so that the brass doesn't size down the boolit.

[DeanWinchester]

I size boolits to .311 for my 30-30 and use the Lyman M die to flare the case mouth, but use the expander for 303 Brit so that the brass doesn't size down the boolit.
Exactly!
I think my Mdie is .310 and I size to .311. Plenty of tension and I use a Lee factory crimp die to close the bell. Not actually crimp, just enough to close the bell.

[Airman Basic]

Okay, good advice. Anybody know where to find the twist rate in these handi-rifles. Would like to try the
RCBS 180 grain gc, since I've already got the mould. But lighter boolits would be an excuse to buy more stuff.

[Airman Basic]

Never mind. Found it here: http://www.handirifle.com/FAQ's.htm Seems 1-10.

[Jal5]

Check out the GBO website, those guys know more than the manufacturer does about all Handi rifles :)

[mdi]

For low volume reloading, you can easily flare (where did "belling" come from?) the case mouth by hand. I've used a .223 case, a center punch, a pair of long nose pliers, etc., to slightly flare the case mouth. Just insert the tool and with a bit of pressure twist the case and it'll expand.

BTW; a single shoot Handi-rifle is quite a hoot to shoot. I've been experimenting with pointy bullets in mine and so far the results are good. I know 30-30 velocities may not be high enough for some .30 cal. bullets to preform on game, but I'm not hunting with it...

[Dale in Louisiana]

Be aware that the amount of flare on a properly belled case is almost imperceptible to the eye. Remember that after the bullet is seated, you go back and remove the flare, and this works the brass. The less you work it, the longer it lasts.

How much, then? When you move the case into the press, it should just 'kiss' the shoulder of the expander. When you try a bullet on a properly flared case, you should, with finger pressure, see the gas check or bullet base slide into the case mouth a tiny bit with almost no pressure, and when you look closely, you should see a ring of a gap around the case mouth and the bullet base or the gas check.

If you find evidence of shaving lead, then you need a tiny bit more flare.

Yes, it's a bit of fiddling around, but then, so much of quality handloading is, anyway.

dale in Louisiana

[MtGun44]

Lee Universal Case Expander is a good tool.

Bill

[MW3840]

I also have used the Lee Universal Case Expander for some years now.

[s1120]

For low volume reloading, you can easily flare (where did "belling" come from?) the case mouth by hand. I've used a .223 case, a center punch, a pair of long nose pliers, etc., to slightly flare the case mouth. Just insert the tool and with a bit of pressure twist the case and it'll expand.

t...

One of my old 60's era manuals says you can use a ball bearing to do it. ive never done it though.

[EMC45]

Lee Universal Case Expander. Great tool! Before I got mine I used a pair of needle nose pliers and would do a little twist to create a "bell" on the end. Iron out the bell and I was in business.

[mroliver77]

I have a selection of Handi Rifles. 22 Hornet, couple.223, a 30-30 (Topper Model),.357 mag. rifled 20 gauge, 20 gauge, 12 gauge, .22 LR. I love the darn things!

These are pretty strong guns! The 30-30 can be pushed if one has a mind to. I mostly shoot the hornet and the .357.
I have a barrel stub and a 30-30 barrel from a 94 Winchester that I have plans of making into something. Thought about having a .223 barrel bored out to somethin fun.

I have read where some guys use the deburring tool and cut a taper inside the mouth. I have tried a few and it does work without shaving but thins the case mouth to almost a knife edge.
J